“NIMASA’s NSDP Program Under Fire: Experts Weigh In”

“NIMASA’s NSDP Program Under Fire: Experts Weigh In”*

By prince Benson Davies

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has come under scrutiny for its National Seafarers Development Program (NSDP) at a recent PortNews summit held at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 Veteran Master Mariner and former Minister of Interior, Captain Emanuel Ihenacho, lambasted the program, stating that it “is making a mockery of Nigeria and its Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.” Captain Ihenacho’s sentiments were echoed by a Chartered Master Marina Captain Kunle Olayiwola a retired staff of NIMASA, who emphasized that sending cadets abroad to gain knowledge is not an effective approach to developing the National Seafarers Development Program.

The dearth of sea time for cadets has been a longstanding challenge in Nigeria’s maritime capacity development, according to Captain Emanuel Ihenacho. This shortage has led many Nigerians to seek training abroad, but Capt Ihenacho believes that training institutions can produce high-quality seafarers without owning vessels.

“We have a lot of challenges and seem to confuse ourselves. For instance, people suggest providing vessels for MAN Oron cadets after their training to acquire sea time. However, a training institution does not need to own trading vessels.

“Most institutions that own vessels use small ones for basic navigational training, but sea time can only be acquired on a fully equipped trading ship that sails internationally.

When we send cadets to countries like India or the Philippines, it undermines the professionals trained locally. Those institutions often exist merely to collect money and don’t train their own cadets similarly” Iheanacho stated.

“Also,” on cadet training, Capt Iheanacho argued that there is no reason why they cannot be trained locally.

“The focus should be on creating a fleet of Nigerian-registered vessels to provide sea time. Efforts to establish a new national shipping line should also learn from past failures like the Nigerian National Shipping Line and Nigerian Unity Line, which collapsed due to poor planning.

“If those in charge are willing, experienced individuals can guide them at no cost on how to train cadets and set up proper evaluation systems for borrowing.

“It is crucial that institutions like Oron Maritime Academy obtain IMO accreditation to issue recognized certifications. We have invested substantially in Oron, and with effective management, it can achieve the required standards to train our seafarers efficiently.”He started

Also speaking at the event, a Chartered Master Mariner, Captain Kunle Olayiwola, criticized the NSDP programme being run by NIMASA, even as he urged the agency to rather focus attention on using the resources to develop the Maritime Academy, Oron. According to him, many of the NSDP cadets return home as half-baked seafarers because the maritime colleges they attended abroad are substandard, he emphasized.